With both teams looking to better their position in the standings late in the season, one would expect a spirited match from both clubs.  This was indeed the case, at least in the first half.  English came out characteristically strong in the midfield, breaking up most AEK plays and sending the ball downfield to their awaiting strikers.    Unfortunately for English, however, it soon became clear that they didn't possess the offensive firepower to overpower AEK defenders.  AEK quickly strengthened their play in the midfield and began to create opportunity after offensive opportunity of their own.    At only 8 minutes in it was AEK's # 8 Bill Giannoulis scoring his eleventh goal of the year as he took advantage of a miscue by the English keeper while making a clearing attempt and found the mesh while all alone out in front.  After this point the play remained fairly back and forth, but in terms of actual shots on goal AEK was far in the lead.    AEK kept the English defenders very busy in the first half, who actually did a fair job in keeping AEK to the outside on most occasions.  English did find a way to put some continuous pressure on the AEK at about the 20 minute mark, but this was not to last.  Most of the play in the first half took place in the English end of the pitch and after 45 minutes of play the score was 1-nil.
Making a change in their goalkeeper, English came out with renewed intensity in the second.  In response AEK cranked up their transition game and moved the ball quickly up the field and into their offensive zone.  It appeared AEK's high levels of discipline and sportsmanship was translating directly into performance against this English squad.    At 53 minutes it was AEK's # 16 Brent Adams delivering a fine header into the top of the English goal from the right side, as he received a perfectly placed cross that traveled across the mouth of the goal originating from the far to the left.  Subsequent to the 60 minute mark, AEK turned up the heat even more and began forcing English to often backpedal in their own zone, as they found it increasingly difficult to assertively move the ball up field.    At 65 minutes another apparent AEK goal was disallowed, and this appeared to fire up the team in white even more.  As they gradually took control of the game, one could see the talent of the AEK strikers come to bear.    At 80 minutes it was 3-0 as a long clearing shot taken by AEK's #16 Brent Adams that somehow eluded the English keeper and rolled into the net untouched.  And again at 83 minutes it was AEK's # 11 Spiros Giannakopoulos making a fine individual effort in driving with the ball upfield on the left side, turning quickly to his right just outside the box and blasting a curving shot into the left side of the net that gave the English keeper little chance.     English did make sporadic attempts at getting on the board but somehow just couldn't formulate offensive plays that would effectively penetrate AEK defenses.  This somewhat one-sided affair would end at 4-0 favouring AEK.  JHS